List of Honorary Freemen of the City of London

Honorary Freedom

The granting of the Honorary Freedom (or Freedom Honoris Causa) of the City of London is extremely rare and only generally awarded today to Royalty, Heads of State or to figures of genuine global standing. It is the highest honour which is in the power of the City of London to bestow on someone and usually takes place in Guildhall in the presence of the Common Council and with Lord Mayor, Sheriffs and Aldermen present, along with invited guests. The most recent recipient after a gap of some 11 years was Archbishop Desmond Tutu with the ceremony taking place at Mansion House on 25 November 2013. Nelson Mandela received the same honour as President of South Africa in 1996. The presentation on these occasions is made by the Chamberlain of London, and is often followed by a Guildhall or Mansion House banquet. The first historically to be so honoured was William Pitt the Elder in 1757. For many years, it was the custom to present the Freedom in specially commissioned and unique gold or silver caskets, the design of which was inspired by the background and the achievements of the individual to which it was given. More normal today would be a presentation of a scroll in an inscribed box.

The Freedom of the City of London

Whilst the Honorary Freedom is indeed a recognition of lifetime achievement or high international standing, the Freedom of the City of London is open to a much wider section of society, and include many who have achieved success, recognition or celebrity in their chosen field. Whilst undoubtedly a privilege, strict instructions are given that the Freedom of the City of London should not be presented to others as being an honour or award. The Freedom of the City of London can be gained through membership of a livery company or by direct application supported by a suitably qualified proposer and seconder. About 1800 Freemen are admitted each year by the Clerk to the Chamberlain of the City of London at a simple but formal ceremony at Guildhall to which friends and family can accompany. A certificate is presented which will be framed on request for a small payment.

There is a long-standing tradition of the City admitting women to the Freedom. Although nowadays usually called Freemen as well, the historically correct way of referring to them is: Free Sisters.

The mixed list below contains just some of the names of people who have received the Freedom or Honorary Freedom over the years:

• Peter Ackroyd (awarded on 15 December 2006)^[1]
• George Arthur
• Robert Baden-Powell
• Raymond Baxter (awarded in 1978)
• David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (awarded on 16 June 1919)^[2]
• Edward Berry
• William Booth (awarded on 26 October 1906)^[3][4]
• Robert Borden (awarded on 29 July 1915)^[5]
• Louis Botha (awarded on 16 April 1907)^[6]
• James Brooke (awarded in 1847)
• Arnold Brown (General of The Salvation Army)
• Angela Burdett-Coutts (awarded on 18 July 1872). She was the first woman to be awarded the honorary Freedom.
• Michael Caine (awarded on 8 March 2013)^[7][8]
• Austen Chamberlain (awarded on 25 March 1926)^[9]
• Joseph Chamberlain (awarded on 13 February 1902)^[10]
• Jimmy Choo (awarded on 14 November 2006)^[11]
• Winston Churchill (awarded on 30 June 1943)^[12]
• Shaw Clifton (awarded on 13 September 2007)^[13]
• Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet (awarded on 9 March 1876)^[14]
• Joan Collins (awarded on 18 September 2014)
• Sir Tim Berners-Lee (awarded on 24 September 2014)
• Alastair Cook^[15]
• Frederick Cook (awarded on 15 October 1909)^[16]
• Crista Cullen (awarded on 23 August 2013)^[17]
• Nigel Cumberland^[18][19]
• Randall Davidson (awarded in 1928)
• Dame Judi Dench^[15]
• Princess Diana^[15]
• Benjamin Disraeli (awarded on 3 March 1878)^[20]
• Plácido Domingo (awarded on 16 April 2013)^[21]
• Alexander Downer, Sr. (awarded in 1965)
• Robin Dunster (awarded on 13 September 2007)^[13]
• Xohan Duran (awarded on 27 April 2016)
• Dwight D. Eisenhower (awarded on 12 June 1945)^[22]
• Morgan Freeman (awarded on 12 November 2014^[23][24]
• Stephen Fry^[15]
• Giuseppe Garibaldi
• Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (awarded on 3 August 1878)^[20]
• Bill Gates
• Bob Geldof (awarded on 16 September 2013)^[25]
• George, Duke of Cambridge, Prince (awarded on 4 November 1857)
• Ron Goodwin
• Ulysses S. Grant (awarded on 15 June 1877)^[26]
• Alan Greenspan (awarded on December 2005)
• Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey (awarded on 23 January 1912)^[27]
• Otto von Habsburg (awarded on 11 July 2007)^[28]
• Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (awarded on 16 June 1919)^[2]
• George William Helon, JP (awarded on 3 March 2016 ^[29][30] and presented on 12 September 2016)
• Paul Humphreys (awarded in 1996)
• Marjorie Jackson-Nelson (awarded on 24 June 2005)^[31]
• Edward Jenner
• Stephen Jolly
• Digby Jones
• Teriy Keys (awarded on 18 September 2014)
• Salar Jung I
• Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (awarded on 4 November 1898)^[32]
• Helmut Kohl (awarded on 18 February 1998 'as the first European leader').^[33]
• Lee Kuan Yew
• Wilfrid Laurier (awarded on 16 April 1907)^[6]
• Lance Corporal Joshua Leakey, VC (awarded on 5 May 2016)^[34]
• Lasse Lehtinen (awarded on 21 September 2007)^[35]
• Annie Lennox^[15]
• Ferdinand de Lesseps
• Damian Lewis (awarded on 20 March 2013)^[36]
• William Lidderdale (awarded in 1891)
• Charles Lindbergh
• David Lloyd George (awarded on 27 April 1917)^[37]
• Ian McKellen (awarded 30 October 2014)^[38]
• Nelson Mandela (awarded 10 July 1996)^[39]
• Renato Martino (awarded on 6 May 2013)^[40]
• Francis Leopold McClintock (awarded in May 1860)
• Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner (awarded on 23 July 1901)^[41]
• Ed Mirvish
• Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
• Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Florence Nightingale (awarded 16 August 1908). She was the second woman who was awarded honorary Freedom.
• William Alfred Hackett (awarded 15 September 2010)^[42][43]
• Ari Norman (awarded on 6 November 1992) for services to the British Silver Industry^[44]
• Luciano Pavarotti (awarded on 12 November 2005)^[45]
• Chris Pavlou
• George Peabody (awarded 10 July 1862, in recognition of his financial contribution to London's poor)^[46]
• Frederick Penny, 1st Viscount Marchwood
• William Pitt the Elder (received the first honorary Freedom in 1757)
• William Pitt the Younger
• William Reid (VC)
• Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Theodore Roosevelt (awarded on 31 May 1910)^[47]
• John Ross (Arctic explorer) (awarded in March 1834)
• J.K. Rowling (awarded on 8 May 2012)^[48]
• Audrey Russell, broadcaster.^[49]
• James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez
• Jan Smuts (awarded on 1 May 1917)^[50]
• Henry Morton Stanley (awarded on 13 January 1887)
• Eric Sykes
• Margaret Thatcher (awarded on 26 May 1989)^[51]
• Leonard Alexander Thirkettle (Chief Petty Officer Instructor, Sea Cadet Corps - awarded 2006)
• Robin Tilbrook (awarded on 27 September 2011)^[52]
• George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
• Bernard Weatherill
• David Weir (awarded on 3 December 2012)^[53]
• General Sir James Willcocks (awarded 11 July 1901). Awarded Freedom of the City of London with sword of honour.^[54]
• William Fenwick Williams
• Woodrow Wilson (awarded on 28 December 1918)^[55]
• Bob Winter (awarded on 10 September 2007)^[56]
• Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
• Angelo Musa awarded on 19 April 2016.^[57]
• Kigeli V of Rwanda (awarded on 28 June 2016) ^[58]
• Gerard Francis Claude Basset OBE, MS, MW, MBA, OIV (awarded on 1 September 2016)

References

1. "Famous London historian honoured by the City of London" (Press release). City of London. 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
2. "Haig and Beatty made freemen of the City of London". ITN Source. 16 June 1919.
3. "London Honors Gen. Booth" (PDF). The New York Times. 1905-10-27. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
4. See also: Report on Salvation Army website
5. "London's Freedom Given to Premier". The Toronto World. July 30, 1915. p. 5.
6. "London lionizing Botha" (PDF). The New York Times. 1907-04-17. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
7. "Sir Michael Caine given Freedom of City of London". Evening Standard. 8 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013.
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lQ0wGuC1cY
9. "Chamberlain gets Freedom of London". The New York Times. 1926-03-26.
10. "Mr. Chamberlain Honored" (PDF). The New York Times. 1902-02-14. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
11. "World-famous shoe designer receives Freedom of the City of London" (Press release). City of London. 2006-11-15. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
12. "Churchill's Title Has Ancient Roots; Includes Right to Enter City Almhouses". The New York Times. 1943-07-01.
13. "Salvation Army Leaders Receive Freedom of the City of London" (Press release). The Salvation Army. 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
14. "The Chief Justice in London" (PDF). The New York Times. 1876-03-10. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
15. "Freedom of the City". City of London. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013.
16. "The Freedom of the City" (PDF). The New York Times. 1910-12-04. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
17. "Crista Cullen receives Freedom of the City of London". England Hockey. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013.
18. http://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=31012
19. http://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/documents/s54485/ITEM%206%20-%20FREEDOMS.pdf
20. "Honors to Beaconsfield" (PDF). The New York Times. 1878-08-04. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
21. Vincent, Alice (16 April 2013). "Opera singer Placido Domingo to receive freedom of the City of London". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013.
22. "Eisenhower to get honor". The New York Times. 1945-06-10.
23. https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-the-city/about-us/Pages/freedom-of-the-city.aspx
24. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-2831704/City-London-makes-Morgan-Freeman-freeman.html
25. Tolhurst, Alain (16 September 2013). "Geldof given freedom of City of London for charity work and contribution to music". London24. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013.
26. "Gen. Grant at Guildhall" (PDF). The New York Times. 1877-06-30. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
27. "London Honors Earl Grey" (PDF). The New York Times. 1912-01-24. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
28. "Last Crown Prince of Austria receives the Freedom of the City of London" (Press release). City of London. 2007-07-11. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
29. "The Freedom of the City". City of London. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
30. "List of Applicants for the Freedom of the City of London". City of London. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
31. "Governor of South Australia receives the Freedom of the City of London" (Press release). City of London. 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
32. "London Honors Kitchener" (PDF). The New York Times. 1898-11-05. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
33. "Kohl to be given honorary freedom of the City of London". BBC news website. 1998-02-18. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
34. https://www.armedforcesday.org.uk/who-youre-saluting-corporal-joshua-leakey-vc/
35. "Leading Finnish cultural figure awarded Freedom of the City" (Press release). City of London. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
36. "Damian Lewis awarded freedom of the City of London". BBC News. 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013.
37. "Must win Ireland, says Lloyd George" (PDF). The New York Times. 1917-04-28. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
38. "Ian McKellen given freedom of the City of London - BBC News". Bbc.com. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
39. See: Acceptance Speech
40. "Cardinal Martino awarded Freedom of the City of London". Independent Catholic News. 6 May 2013. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013.
41. "Speech by Lord Milner" (PDF). The New York Times. 1901-07-24. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
42. Simpson, Colin. "Welcome | The Worshipful Company of Firefighters". www.firefighterscompany.org. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
43. Bonham, Martin (November 2010). "Members News" (PDF). Worshipful Company of Firefighters. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
44. Krieger, Candice (20 December 2007). "Ari Norman designs the ultimate family Chanucah gift". The Jewish Chronicle.
45. "Pavarotti receives freedom of the City of London" (Press release). British Red Cross. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
46. "London People: George Peabody". Retrieved 24 June 2016.
47. "Freedom of London for Col. Roosevelt" (PDF). The New York Times. 1910-03-04. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
48. Rowling, J.K. "J.K. Rowling". TM Warner Bros and J.K. Rowling. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
49. Pimlott Baker, Anne (2004). "Audrey Russell". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
50. "London Honors Gen. Smuts" (PDF). The New York Times. 1917-05-02. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
51. See: Acceptance Speech
52. See
53. "London 2012 athlete David Weir given City of London freedom". BBC News. 3 December 2012.
54. "The city and Sir James Willcocks". The Times (36505). London. 12 July 1901. p. 11.
55. "President Wilson's Speech At the Guildhall in London" (PDF). The New York Times. 1918-12-29. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
56. "Lord Provost of Glasgow to receive Freedom of City of London" (Press release). City of London. 2007-09-05. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
57. http://www.academiasanctiambrosii.it (President)
58. http://king-kigeli.org/royal-news-and-events/item/42-the-royal-trip-to-the-united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and-northern-ireland-june-28